• recursivethinking@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      16 hours ago

      That F is zeroed out on fucking Brine makes it the most absurd thing.

      Like OK there may be an argument for base 12 or base 16 (but not both)… But a mixture of water, ice, and sodium chloride?

      Like OK blame a German I guess , but at least they were smart enough to decide, “Das ist stupid”

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        16 hours ago

        C is pretty made up too. Why water, and why sea level? Don’t complain about F if you aren’t using K, where zero actually means zero. Anything else is just picking arbitrary points that you like for one reason or another.

        • fartographer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          53 minutes ago

          I can’t be certain that this is the exact reason, but I believe it’s because metric units are based on measurements of fresh water at sea level. 1 kg = 1 litre = 1 m³ of fresh water at sea level. If fresh water at sea level has been used to standardize everything else, then why wouldn’t you use it as the standard to calibrate a scale of 0 (least water movement) to 100 (most water movement)?

          The problem with using K back when ⁰C were being standardized is that it’s really really difficult to get your hands on some absolute zero. Also, since we generally use ⁰C to measure things here on Earth, I’d argue that the basis for C is just as arbitrary as the basis for metric. I think the equivalent of arguing for K over C would be to argue for light years or astronomical units over kilometres.

        • Instigate@aussie.zone
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          9
          ·
          15 hours ago

          Why water

          Because it’s one of the most abundant resources available on earth that is imperative to our understanding of the existence of life and is the commonest solution regularly used by humans in scenarios where temperature is a relevant factor.

          why sea level?

          Because vast swathes of humanity live at or near sea level, where we already arbitrarily nominate the level of atmospheric pressure to be 1 ATM.

          While K has a natural zero-point, the gradation (by your logic) is entirely arbitrary as well because it’s based on C and not some other cosmological constant.

          • Cethin@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            12 hours ago

            I know why water was chosen. Brine also has characteristics that are useful. My point was that it’s just one (specific version of a) molecule at one specific altitude, and pressure varies, so there is no true “sea level pressure”. It is not a concrete thing where zero means zero.

            Metric I love. C is not metric though. It’s an SI unit, but not metric, as often as those are conflated. It doesn’t have any fundamental advantage over F.